Illinois and Cook County’s minimum wage will soon go up once again.
Beginning in 2025, the state and county’s minimum wage will officially increase to $15 an hour for non-tipped employees. Tipped employees will increase to $9 an hour.
“Cook County’s minimum wage is determined by whichever is higher in any given year: the Federal minimum wage, Illinois State minimum wage, or a rate calculated by the County using the Consumer Price Index (CPI),” the county said in a release.
The increase is separate from Chicago’s minimum wage, however. The city’s minimum wage changes in July each year and is currently at $16.20 an hour for non-tipped workers.
“This change reflects Cook County’s commitment to advancing health and wealth equity through labor protections that safeguard the County’s most vulnerable workers,” the county said in a release.
County employees are covered by minimum wage ordinance if:
- They are over the age of 18 and work for an employer in Cook County for at least two hours in any two-week period, and
- The employer has four or more employees (or employs domestic workers), and
- The employer maintains a business facility in Cook County or is issued a business license by Cook County.